1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for macrophotography, and, more particularly, an attachment which is fastened rigidly or removably to a camera.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Camera attachments for macrophotography are known in the art. Such attachments are fastened either rigidly or detachably, e.g., by means of a bayonet joint as is usual in the case of interchangeable lenses, to the camera housing.
In the field of medicine, cameras or camera attachments of this type are used for different applications, including for taking detail photographs of the skin.
A camera attachment for dermatological macrophotography is known from PHOTOMED'1, 1988, pages 27-32. This attachment is composed essentially of a bellows lens which is arranged on a support having a front and rear plate, each of which are fastened adjustably on a rail. The lens is directed towards a transparent contact sheet which, for photographing, is placed on the skin after the latter has been moistened with clear oil in order to make the uppermost skin layer transparent.
In the known camera attachment, in order to obtain sharp photographs, the lens must be focused on the skin while looking through the camera viewfinder. As a result of its size and its weight, the attachment is unwieldy and can be used at best only with limitations; with respect to some parts of the body, for example on the side of the nose or in the armpit, it cannot be used at all. The attachment is expensive and, because of the necessity of carrying out focusing and aperture selection for every photograph, prone to error. Furthermore, adjustment of the bellows can create different picture enlargements which make it impossible subsequently to classify the size of detail of the photographed skin region. The attachment, moreover, is composed of a number of components, and requires an electronically controlled camera.